WithYou

Happy World Pharmacists Day! Today WithYou is shining a spotlight on the pharmacists and pharmacy teams who play such an important role in supporting people affected by drug and alcohol use across our communities. Across Wigan & Leigh, local pharmacies are a vital part of our partnership, working closely with our teams to make sure people get the medication, support and reassurance they need. As one local pharmacist told us: “People sometimes think the role of a pharmacy is simply supplying medication, but it’s so much deeper than that. We see some of our patients every day, some three times a week and others weekly, so you develop a really strong relationship with them. You get to know their lives, what they’re going through, and when something doesn’t seem right. “It’s about looking after the whole person. You get happy for them, you get sad for them, you hear about their lives. It’s a professional relationship, but it’s also about being there for people when they need a little bit of a boost.” That partnership can make a real difference — helping people feel known, supported and able to ask for help when they need it. A huge thank you to Aoife, our pharmacy partners and to pharmacists everywhere for the role you play in helping people live happier and healthier lives. #RecoveryMonth #MonthOfHope

Today we're celebrating the Pharmacist colleagues across our organisation this #WorldPharmacistDay 👋 Behind the scenes of our drug and alcohol support, highly skilled teams are working every day to help people make positive, lasting changes to their drug and alcohol use. Their work is an important part of the support we provide, so today we're shining a light on the people behind the scenes who make a real difference everyday. This year's theme, ‘Empowering pharmacists for healthier futures', couldn't be more fitting for our pharmacy teams. From leadership to client-facing roles, our pharmacists bring specialist knowledge, experience and a unique perspective to our services. They help people get the right support at the right time and work towards a healthier future. Pictured is our Central Meds Management Team and Cornwall Pharmacy Technicians. Our Director of Pharmacy, Abie Wilson, is celebrating the team: "On World Pharmacist Day it's a pleasure to shout out to our growing team of highly skilled Pharmacists within the organisation. These professionals provide a unique skill set and perspective, in both leadership and client-facing roles, and go above and beyond to support clients within our services. A big thank you to you all!" 💙

I’m a bit rubbish at posting my quotes in the media so part of my second-half-of-the-year resolution (and promise to the WithYou comms team!) is to do so. It’s always nice when a journalist shows genuine interest in learning more about the issues they report on, and speaks to multiple well regarded sources. My quote this week in The Sun may be small, but the context and messaging is key. Harm reduction for young people starts at home, and reliable information is the foundation. https://lnkd.in/esPFDgsT

Today we learned that 1,133 lives in Scotland were lost to drugs last year, up 11% year on year. As our chart shows, this isn't a one-off, it's part of a hugely concerning decade-long pattern. Sons, daughters, parents, friends, our thoughts are with every family who has lost someone. Our National Harm Reduction Lead, Gareth Balmer, has written about why this keeps happening, and what needs to change. It's not just about the drugs themselves. Poverty, trauma and a failing safety net all play their part, and Scotland needs to move faster from piloting solutions to delivering them properly, backed by long-term planning and investment. Read Gareth's full piece in the comments.

Before managing WithYou in South Ayrshire, Roberta McClung spent more than 20 years struggling with substance use herself before she found her way into recovery. When she first came to WithYou as a client in 2016, her initial reason was a practical one. She wanted a bus pass. What followed was the beginning of a much bigger change. Through meeting others in recovery, becoming part of a community and volunteering at local recovery cafes, Roberta found connection and the tools to move forward. She went on to become a lived experience worker, then moved into outreach worker before joining us as a recovery worker in 2021. Within a year, she was a Team Leader and later became Service Manager, completing qualifications and training along the way. Today, Roberta’s service brings together a dedicated recovery team, ROADS Family Support, Connect4Change and a regular presence at the Compass drop-in hub. For people accessing support, this partnership approach matters. By working across services and sharing spaces, teams can make it easier for people and families to access the right support at the right time. Around 60% of the team have lived experience of their own, bringing insight and understanding to the support they provide. Roberta's journey is a powerful example of what lived experience can bring to leadership, service design and community support. We're proud to celebrate Roberta and the South Ayrshire team, and the difference they make in their community every day.

New synthetic opioids are making the drug supply more dangerous than ever, and the sector needs to respond faster than the market is changing. The BBC spoke to our National Harm Reduction Lead, Gareth Balmer, about the rise of nitazenes and other lab-made substances now turning up across the country. As Gareth puts it, "I don't think drugs have ever been as risky or as dangerous as they are now." These substances are so new, and change so fast, that many people, including some professionals, have no idea they exist, let alone the risks they carry. Naloxone, which can reverse an opioid overdose, needs to be in the hands of families and communities, not just services. We provide naloxone training and supplies as part of our support across Scotland. But new drugs alone don't explain why people die. What we see, again and again, is how closely this is tied to poverty, poor health, trauma and isolation. If we want to reduce drug deaths, we have to keep asking why so many people use drugs harmfully in the first place, not just respond to what they're using. No policy will be enough on its own until we do. Gareth will be on TV and radio throughout the day. You can read the full BBC here: https://lnkd.in/eeagQWB7

From personal struggles and different jobs to a decade of purpose in support work, Gregor’s story is a powerful reminder that recovery can open the door to new possibilities. After a stay in a psychiatric hospital became a turning point, Gregor joined the Scottish Drugs Forum traineeship, overcoming his fear of employment and beginning a new chapter. After his drinking and mental health became unmanageable, holding down jobs was a challenge. “I couldn't hold jobs down because of my mental health and my drinking.” Placements led to his first role in the sector, and Gregor has now spent 10 years with WithYou, where he works as a trainer facilitator, using his own lived experience to create impactful drug and alcohol training. Today, he’s helping roll out new training across the organisation, bringing his visual arts background into the design of learning materials. And, as Gregor says, the learning goes both ways: “Our workers energise me with their enthusiasm. I learn from them all the time.” Outside of work, Gregor has returned to painting, continues to develop film scripts with a producer, and holds a black belt in karate, a discipline he returned to during his recovery. This #RecoveryMonth, we’re celebrating stories like Gregor’s and recognising the contribution people with lived experience make every day across our sector. 🌱

If you, or someone in your network, supports young people, please help spread the word: support is still available. Our webchat is free, confidential and available to anyone who needs someone to talk to. Visit wearewithyou.org.uk You can find information about urgent mental health helplines and support here: • KOOTH • Samaritans – call 116 123 • YoungMinds • Mind • NHS 111 for urgent mental health support • 999 in an emergency We’re WithYou.

🏃♀️ Almost time 🕑 On Sunday I will be running in the Great North Run to raise money for the WithYou #Redcar and Cleveland service. Our staff and co-production group would love to improve our reception area therefore we are raising money to make some building improvements. Please follow the link below to donate. Likes and shares also appreciated 🩵 I will post updates of the building updates as we go along! https://lnkd.in/e3hdyyaq